Grilled Orange Sesame Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients

3 oranges

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half

2 pounds asparagus spears, trimmed

6 small zucchini cut on the diagonal 1/4-inch thick

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Cooking Directions

Cut 1 orange into wedges (peel intact); set aside. Of the remaining 2 oranges, remove zest of 1 and juice of both; place zest and juice in a glass bowl. Add lemon juice, vinegar, pepper, and mustard; whisk. Slowly whisk in sesame oil; set aside.

Place chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap; pound with a meat tenderizer to 1/2 inch thick. Place chicken in a glass bowl; pour half reserved vinaigrette over chicken. Coat thoroughly, cover with plastic wrap, and chill 1 to 2 hours.

Heat a grill or grill pan until very hot. Coat asparagus and zucchini with olive oil; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Grill vegetables and reserved orange wedges until tender. Remove chicken from marinade; season with remaining teaspoon salt; discard marinade. Grill until browned on both sides and cooked through. Arrange chicken and vegetables on platter; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with remaining reserved vinaigrette.

Yield: 6 servings

Marinated Zucchini with Bow Ties

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then into 1/4-inch slices

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 pound plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

5 tablespoons wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh-ground black pepper

1 pound bow ties

1/3 cup olive oil

Cooking Directions

In a large frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat. Add the garlic, zucchini, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. 

Transfer the zucchini to a large stainless-steel, glass, or ceramic bowl and stir in the tomatoes, basil, vinegar, the remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the bow ties until just done, about 15 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss it with the marinated zucchini and the remaining 1/3 cup oil.

Yield: 4 servings

Still Hungry?

Garden-fresh zucchini and tomatoes make a beautiful pasta, perfect for a warm summer night's dinner. It can be served hot or at room temperature, either for four as a main course or for eight as a side dish--with grilled chicken, for instance.

Notes:

Variation: Balsamic-Marinated Zucchini with Bow Ties For a sweeter dish, you can substitute an equal amount of balsamic vinegar in place of the wine vinegar called for in the recipe.

Zucchini Pancakes

These are quick and easy and will use up the fresh zucchini growing in the garden

4 cups fresh grated zucchini
1 cup pancake mix batter
1/2 cup copped onions
3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbs seasonal blend (pick your favorite)
salt and pepper to taste

You can play with the seasoning add what you like until it tastes good to you.

Mix all ingredients together add more or less pancake mix and zucchini until the texture is close to a pancake batter.
Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat
In the skillet put a table spoon of oil and drop a spoonful of pancake mix in the oil and flatten.
Cook on both sides until browned. 1-2 mins